Friday’s Mini-Report

* More good economic news: “U.S. consumer sentiment unexpectedly rose to its highest in five years in October in the latest in a string of encouraging signs from the economy that may boost President Barack Obama’s re-election hopes next month.”

* Pursuing justice for Malala Yousufzai: “Pakistani police have arrested a number of suspects in the case of a 14-year-old girl shot and wounded by the Taliban for promoting education for girls and criticizing the fundamentalist Islamic movement, officials said Friday.”

* The creator of the television series, “Friday Night Lights” really isn’t happy about Mitt Romney using “Clear Eyes, Full Heart, Can’t Lose” for his campaign.

* Wisconsin: “A former top aide to Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin pleaded guilty to one count of felony misconduct in public office in a deal with prosecutors Thursday, a week after Mr. Walker was subpoenaed to testify at the trial.”

* A great piece on Romney’s economic plan: “They say they have six independent studies – six! – that ‘have confirmed the soundness of the Governor’s tax plan,’ and so I should stop whining. Let’s take a tour of those studies and see how they measure up.”

* The right doesn’t want to hear this, but cutting PBS funding won’t help the nation’s fiscal health.

* Paul Krugman’s latest is worth your time: “[I]f Mitt Romney wins the election, the G.O.P. will surely consider its economic ideas vindicated. In other words, politically good things may be about to happen to very bad ideas. And if that’s how it plays out, the American people will pay the price.”

* Once again, when things that are completely true are arbitrarily deemed “half true,” there’s a problem.